Housefull

After a long painful drought (thanks to the exam season and IPL matches) of plain boring to irritating films arrives Sajid Khan’s Housefull. While in totality it does fall short of being the big great summer entertainer that it is been claiming to be, it however manages to bring many laughs for you. However, eventually it settles down in familiar territory.

Housefull narrates the tale of Aarush (Akshay), a perpetually unlucky bloke and a loser in life who moves into the house of his best buddy cum another loser, Bob (Ritesh) and his wife Hetal (Lara). But things continue to go wrong for Aarush.

Convinced that true love can fade away his bad luck jinx, a desperate Aarush enters into many complicated situations while seeking it. Thus enter Sandy (Deepika) and Devika (Jiah) in his life.

Things complicate further with the arrival of Sandy’s angry brother Major Krishna Rao (Arjun Rampal) and Hetal’s estranged dad Batuk Patel (Boman Irani).

How Aarush and Bob in an attempt to hoodwink Krishna Rao and Batuk go on creating more confusion leading to a mirthful chaos forms the rest of the plot.

Much was expected from Sajid Khan who has been literally claiming from rooftops for weeks now that he has made the year’s biggest blockbuster. Though he has not entirely let us down, you do wish he could have opted for a more innovative plot.

The second half ends up being more of an Anees Bazmee film what with characters trying to hide identities and going on a lying spree.

Sajid Khan also seems to have taken the slap stick humour bit quiet seriously what with so many slaps happening within the film. A ‘slapathon’ sequence reminding of his Heyy Babyy takes place too.

The film loses its tempo with the introduction of Jiah’s character. But thankfully gets it back right in the second half where Akshay and Ritesh’s histrionics to hide the truth from Arjun Rampal and Boman Irani.

To give Sajid due credit, he has created many rip roaringly funny situations that are further elevated by his actors. Amongst the most hilarious sequences are most of the scenes featuring Akshay and Ritesh together. They share terrific chemistry.

The climax set in the Queen of England’s Buckingham Palace is a laugh riot (literally). The film is high on glamour quotient what with three attractive bodied heroines (Deepika, Lara and Jiah) parading in skimpy outfits most of the time.

Akshay Kumar is back in terrific form, evoking huge laughter with his poker faced humour. Ritesh Deshmukh is another great comic talent who often gets his timing right. Arjun Rampal suits the part and looks dapper.

While Deepika looks sizzling hot, Lara manages to score over her in the comedy department. Jiah tries hard and ends up being just about passable.

Boman Irani goes over the top as usual. Making a come back on screen after a long gap, Randhir Kapoor playing Jiah’s Sindhi dad doesn’t get much scope. Chunky Pandey is plain irritating playing Akhiri Pasta an Italian hotelier. His fake Italiano accent grates on your nerves.

Shankar Ehsaan Loy’s music perfectly syncs in with the mood of the film. Mika sung foot tapping number Apni To Jaise Taise featuring Jacqueline Fernandez is a sure shot chartbuster and is fun to watch on screen.

The editing could have been tighter especially in the first half. Vikas Sivaraman’s camera work is good especially while capturing the Italy locales.

Finally, what makes Housefull a watchable film is the fact that it aims to entertain and succeeds in doing so irrespective of its negative points. Go watch Housefull if you seek pure no hassles entertainment.

Please Give

Kate, the Manhattanite wife and mother played by Catherine Keener in Nicole Holofcener's marvelously observed new domestic drama Please Give, is a vivid catalog of ambivalences familiar to millions of women of a certain boomer age and socioeconomic level. She's married to Alex (Oliver Platt), an amiable man with whom she shares a successful business selling vintage furniture, but she's prone to jags of dissatisfaction. She's the loving mother of a spunky teenage daughter (Sarah Steele), but she's given to flare-ups of insensitivity. She enjoys her city comforts, but she's afflicted with guilt for being a have while have-nots sleep on the street outside her door. Bound by peculiar NYC real estate circumstances to the elderly tenant next door — Kate and Alex own the old lady's apartment, and will be able be able to combine units and expand their own living space when she dies — the couple also crosses paths with Rebecca Hall and Amanda Peet as the neighbor’s adult granddaughters.

Kate is a close relative of the complicated women who regularly populate Holofcener's smart, articulate, female-centric movies — women previously played by Keener in the filmmaker's Walking and Talking (1996); Lovely & Amazing (2001); and Friends With Money (2006). Indeed, with Keener's unique ability to portray characters who are simultaneously blunt (and even abrasive) but also soft and vulnerable, the actress has become the embodiment of a Holofcener woman. More than that, with their shared characteristics of sex, age, motherhood, and brunet hair, Keener has become Holofcener's artistic alter ego. In Please Give, the sharp-eyed filmmaker sends her vibrant representative out into the world to explore what it means for a woman to be lucky and still feel itchy. The report has the resonant ring of truth.